We asked, you answered: This was readers' preferred AC temperature, and more expert advice

Two weeks ago, the Coloradoan polled its readers to ask them what temperature they set their AC to during the summer.

The most popular answer? 78 degrees Fahrenheit.

But settling the debate is not as easy. Some readers reached out sharing their preference for a different temperature during the day and during the night. Others simply said they don’t use AC.

Here are our poll results and some expert advice to keep your house cool while keeping the bill low:

Optimal temperature poll results

In total, just over 5,400 readers voted in our poll. From those, 14.7% said they set their AC to 78 degrees ( which is what the government recommends ). But the rest of the votes weren’t neatly distributed around this temperature.

The median value was 75 degrees, and “70 degrees or lower” was twice as popular as “80 degrees or higher.”

One reader, Dean Wallace, has a programmable thermostat that’s set to 78 during the afternoon and 85 at night.

Others, like Kim Sharpe, don’t use air conditioning at home.

“I open windows at night and close them and curtains in the morning. I keep ceiling fans on to circulate air. Unless the outside temperature is in the mid-90s or higher, my house doesn’t get warmer than 80 or so by late afternoon, which isn’t too uncomfortable,” Sharpe shared with the Coloradoan over email.

How do different temperatures affect my energy bill?

There are a lot of variables that affect how much you pay for electricity, like the size of your house and the age and efficiency of the equipment. But keeping it colder does cost you more.

“On average about every two degrees higher that you set your air conditioner, you can save up to 14% on cooling costs,” said Glenn Pease, the senior supervisor, energy services at Fort Collins Utilities.

“When you use electricity, though, is as important, if not more important as how much you use,” Pease said.

During the summer in Fort Collins, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays are peak hours where electricity costs more than during other times of the day.

More: Fort Collins summer peak hours: When and why your electricity sometimes costs triple

“So using your air conditioner on off-peak times can cost on average around 20 cents per hour to operate. Whereas if you're using your air conditioner during the peak times, that can be on average around 80 cents per hour,” Pease said.

Time of day saving strategy

One method to take advantage of the time of day rates in the city is setting different temperatures throughout the day, Pease said.

Using 78 degrees as an example, Pease recommends pre-cooling your house at 76 before 2 p.m., and then just letting the AC coast to, say, 80 degrees during the peak period. At 7 p.m. when peak time is over, you could have it set back down to 78 degrees.

“I would advise customers to play around with that and find what settings help them balance comfort and costs,” Pease said.

Wallace uses this approach, shifting between 74 degrees and 78 degrees during on and off peak in the day before setting it a few degrees higher at night.

(The city has an online tool to calculate monthly energy costs based on time of day use.)

Air conditioning alternatives

Heat pumps are an energy-efficient alternative that offers both cooling and heating. This technology not only can save energy costs, but it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to the warming trends.

Fort Collins has service providers “in the Efficiency Works Homes program that are trained for heat pump installations and customers of Fort Collins Utilities can also access rebates if they work with that Efficiency Works Homes service provider,” Pease said.

You can find more information about these rebates on the city’s website . The state energy office also has tax credits up to $1,500 for heat pumps .

For heat pumps, Pease noted, it is more efficient to set a steady temperature for the heating side of things. For cooling, the coasting approach works fine.

More tips for energy consumption

Renters in Fort Collins can also get a free energy audit from the city . A $60 fee applies for homeowners.

“Someone will come out and do an energy audit of your unit and be able to make direct focus recommendations based on your setup,” said Nick Combs, the utilities communications and marketing manager at the city.

“The nice thing is at the end of that you get a complete energy audit report. And we've had people that are able to take that to their landlord and start a conversation,” Combs said.

As for maintenance, Pease recommends doing it seasonally: getting your AC checked before the summer use and your furnace checked before winter use.

Changing the AC filters is also important.

“So it really depends on the size of your filter slot. For a one-inch filter slot, which is the most common, we recommend probably about as cheap as you can get and changing it every three months,” Pease said.

And if air quality is a concern, Pease recommends looking at some of the ENERGY STAR air purifiers.

“We're in the funky place of utilities that we actively want people to use less of the product we sell,” Combs said. “So anything we can do to help them make that happen and make sure people's homes are efficient and comfortable, we are all about.”

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: We asked, you answered: This was readers' preferred AC temperature, and more expert advice